Medicate Acute IBS Attacks with Homeopathy and Magnesium

Conventional medicine has failed to find something to cure or even treat IBS. These homeopathic remedies can offer at least some relief during an acute IBS attack.

Help symptoms with homeopathic remedies

Use a qualified homeopath if you choose to explore homeopathy as a treatment for your chronic IBS symptoms.

You may not know much about homeopathy (treating conditions with small amounts of drugs that would produce the conditions’ symptoms in a healthy person) except the use of arnica for pain and shock, but it’s the best first aid for an acute IBS attack.

Match your symptoms with a remedy or two, and then buy those remedies and keep them on hand. Because stress can contribute to IBS attacks, knowing you have treatments ready to go may lessen the chances of an attack.

The dosage for acute symptoms is one dose every half hour. In the health store, you can find different potencies of each remedy. Choose a 6, 12, or 30 potency.

If a homeopathic remedy is going to work, it should do so within four to five doses. If one remedy isn’t working after five doses, try another remedy. But if you try two or three different remedies and nothing is helping — move on to other ways of helping your IBS.

Note: The pellet forms of these remedies contain lactose, and the liquid versions have some alcohol as a preservative. Most people do just fine with either, but if you have severe lactose intolerance, use the liquid.

Anyone, infant to elderly, can take homeopathic treatments safely, and there are no interactions with any other medications or any other diseases. Still, it’s smart to consult with your doctor before you begin taking any of these medications.

Cheerfulness and considerate nature, which lead to weakness,
sensitivity, and a desire to be left alone

Nux vomica

Abdominal pains; bowel symptoms accompanied by abdominal
tension, which may lead to soreness in the muscles of the abdominal
wall and pain from trapped gas; constipation with a largely
unsuccessful urge to go; diarrhea

Sudden morning urge to evacuate bowels; episodes of diarrhea
throughout the day, alternating with constipation accompanied by
offensive, odorous gas; oozing around the rectum with itching,
burning, and red irritation

Strong personality; hot, fiery temperament

Make magnesium work for you

One of the really bad parts about having an IBS-constipation attack is the cramping pain that can cut like a knife.

Researchers are still trying to figure out what exactly causes intestinal spasms in IBS; some theories suggest that the intestines may already be in spasm from generalized tension or from lack of magnesium. In either situation, taking magnesium is going to help. If you have IBS-C, take two to three 200-milligram doses of magnesium citrate/magnesium chloride power or capsules throughout the day and one glass of water with each dose.

The first doses should help calm you down and begin to relax your intestines. If that amount doesn’t result in more relief of your constipation, you can take more magnesium up 600 to 800 milligrams of magnesium citrate per day.

If you have IBS-diarrhea, you can easily get around the dilemma of magnesium being a laxative: Use magnesium salts in a bath or a foot bath, or spray magnesium oil on your skin, especially your abdomen.

Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate and available in any drugstore in the country. Put 2 to 4 cups of Epsom salts in a moderately hot bath and relax while the magnesium penetrates your skin and relaxes your intestinal spasms. Magnesium oil is magnesium chloride highly concentrated in distilled water; put 2 ounces in a bath or 1 teaspoon directly on your skin.